Pleat holding or clamping device



March 2, 1948. s ESECSON 2,437,084

PLEAT HOLDING on CLAMPING DEVICE Filed July 9, 1946 mvamoa:

S\MON ESECSON ATTOR N EY B Maw M Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IPLEAT-HOIEDING' OR OLAMIPIN G DEVICE SimnniEsecson, Malden,fMass.

Application July 9, 1946,.SerialNo. 682,402

This invention relates, as indicated, to a pleat holding or clamping-device forpressing machines, but has reference'more particularly to a device of this character which facilitates the pressing of pleats in skirts and-other garments.

Devices of'thisnature'have heretofiorebeen-proposed, such, forexample, as "those shown in U. S. Patents 501,044 and 1}16430'8. These devices, are, in general, unsatisfactory, since they project above "the ironing board to such "an extent that they'interfere not only with ironin'g by an ordinary electric or flat irongbut also prevent bringing the upper -or movable board 'or member of an ordinary pressing machine "down into pressingcontact -with the skirt, where such machines are employed for ironing. These devices, moreover, are so complicated and cumbersome that they can-only -be-used' With-=difiicu1ty,- and their construction -makes' them expensive to purchase as well as repair. 7

'The present invention has "as primary b- J'ect the provision of a device of 'the character described, which is so constructed as to have little or no ortion 'thereo'f-which'projects above the upper surfa'ce ofi-the' pleats to be pressed, 'so that interference *-with the pressing -:operation in a pressing machine is virtually eliminated.

Another-obiect or the invention is to provide a device of the character "described, 'whiclri is extremely simple in =oonstruction, consisting of a minimum number not easily "manufactured and readily assembl'ed parts.

A 'further object-cif the invention is to provide a'device of'the characterdescribed-which=isinexpensive-and readily-adapted for production in commercially desirable quantities.

A still further object of the invention is to provide:a device or the character described which isa highly efficient-and-efiective aid in-th-e pressing ;of pleated skirts and other pleated garments.

*Otherzzobj acts and advantages of the invention will be apparent during-the course of the :follo" ing z'descrip'tion.

Initheaccompanying drawings, forming apart of :the specification, and in w hich like numerals are employed to :designate dike parts throughout the same,

Fig. 11 iS aLp'Ian view of an "ironing hoard, show- 1ilng "the use of the device of the 'present inven- Fig. 2 is :a cross-sectional view, taken-on the line 2--Z2 0f F-i-g. x1

Fig. 3 is a perspective 'view of "the device;

Fig. 4 "is a perspective =view of-one "o'f thepleatclamping elements;

9 Claims. (01. 38 -12) Fig. 5 is an enlarged "fragmentary cross-sec tional view, illustrating the manner in which the pleat-securing member extends through a pleat;

Fig 6 is a perspective view of oneof the members which-is used'for fastening down the waistband :of the garment, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary-perspective view, 'ShOW-i inga modification of thelpleat-clamping element of Fig. 4. I

Referring more particularly to Figs 1 too inelusive of the drawings, the reference numeral B designates an ironing board, which maybe an ordinary hand ironingboard of the well-known type, or the lower :or garment supporting board of an ordinary pressing machine, such, for example, as a pressing machine of the Hoffman type. Such an ironing board comprises, in the usual case, a body or frame, a :certain amount of padding P which overliesthe top and edgesof the frame, and a fabric covering for holding the padding in place.

Th garment, designated G, inthis'case, a skirt having a waistband W and having pleats P, is draped or laid over the ironing board '3 in the usual manner, and 'a series of flat metallic elements 1, having-*thumbtacks 2 welded thereto adjacent the ends, is employed-to secure the waistband-W to the'board B. For this purpose,

.the points 2' of the thumbtacks "2 are pushed through the waistband and into the "padding P of the board, as clearly shown in "Fig. 1. This effectively clamps *the waistband-"to the board.

"The device which forms the subject 'matter of the present invention comprises a metallic strap 3, having downturned ends 4, to-which the ends of a tension springi are connected, the spring being thus disposed substantally parallel with and Lin spaced relation to the up er horizontal portion 3 of the strap. The strap 3-4 is -preferab1y made from sheet steelrlof about 15 gauge.

. The portion 3 of the strap is;provided with a centrallydisposedlongitudinally-extending slot 6.

' upwardly'therefrom and under which is inserted one end of a U-shaped pleat-securing member 9, the arms of which overlie and'bear against the element 8 and are turnedldownwardly, as at 9a to provide points'ilb. The portions .911 of these pleat-securing "members extend downwardly through perforations provided therefor in the elements 8.

The riveted connection of the elements 8 to the strap 3 is such that each of the elements can be slid to any desired position along the slot 6, and can also be rotated about the rivet, as an axis, to a position substantially parallel with the strap 3 or alongside the strap. Moreover, the slot 6 is open at the ends, as shown in Fig. 3, so that in the event any of the elements 8 or members 9 become damaged, it may be easily slid out of the slot and repaired or replaced.

In using the device which has been described, to facilitate the pressing of the pleats in the skirt G, the hem portion of the skirt is placed in approximately the position it will occupy during the pressing operation, and the strap 3-4 is then moved along the wider end of the pressing board to a position closely adjacent to, but in spaced relation to the hem of the skirt. The stretch of the spring permits this movement of the strap, and, at the same time, the springs maintain the portion 3 of the strap flat against the upper surface of the board.

After the strap 3 has been thus positioned, each pleat of the skirt is folded into proper position for pressing, and as each successive pleat is thus folded, the operator will push the pointed portions 9a of one of the pleat-securing members 9 through the pleat and into the padding of the board until the element 8 lies flat against the pleat, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The springy character of the element 8 facilitates bending of this element for the purpose of properly positioning the element and pushing the pointed portions 9a into the pleat and padding.

After all of the pleats have been thus se,- cured or clamped into place, the operator will then bring the upper ironing board of the pressing machine down on the skirt, and thereby presses all of the pleats in a single operation, and in a highly efficient and effective manner.

' Due to the fact that the strap 3, as well as the members 8 lie substantially flat against the ironing board or the garment, and the fact that the device has no portions thereof which project to any extent above theupper surface of the pleats, no interference is interposed by the device to the pressing operation, and the garment can be quickly and easily pressed.

Moreover, the device is extremely simple in construction, consists of a minimum number of easily manufactured and readily assembled parts, is inexpensive and is readily adapted for producing in commercially desirable quantities.

After the pressing has been completed, the elements 8 can be lifted to withdraw the pointed portions of the members 8 from the pressing board and garment, the springy character of the members 8 facilitating such withdrawal. After this, the members 8 can be rotated to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the points 9b rest on the strap 3, at opposite sides of the slot 6. The device can then be quickly and easily slipped ofi the ironing board.

In Fig. 7 1 have shown a modified form of the pleat clamping element shown in Fig. 4. In this case, the element consists of a flat supporting element l8, preferably formed of spring steel, and having a rivet ll secured to one end, which functions in the same manner as the rivet I of the previously described form of the invention, and a pleat-securing member H at its other end. The member 12 is preferably in the form of a thumbtack which is welded to the element l8 and has a point l3 which functions in the same manner as the points 9b of the previously described form of the invention.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention, herewith shown and described, are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a

strap member adapted to overlie a pressing board,

spring means for securing said strap member to said board, elements riveted to said strap at spaced intervals, and pleat-securing members supported by said elements, said members having pointed portions adapted to be pushed through the pleats of a garment and into said board, said elements normally disposed in substantially the same plane as said strap member.

2. In a device of the character described, a strap member adapted to overlie a pressing board, means securing said member to said board, while permitting movement ofsaid member to a selected position along said board, elements secured to said strap member at spaced intervals, said elements being movable along said strap member and being also pivotally movable with respect to said strap member, each element having a pleat-holding pin associated therewith.

3. In a device of the character described, a strap member adapted to overlie a pressing board, means securing said member to said board while permitting movement of said member to a selected position along said board, said member having a longitudinally-extending slot therein, elements extending from said strap member at spaced intervals, rivets extending through said members and through said slot, said rivets permitting movement of said elements along said slot, and pivotal movement of the elements relatively to said strap member, and pleat-=ho1ding pin members carried by said elements.

4. A device, as defined in claim 3, in which said elements are formed of spring steel.

5. A device, as defined in claim 3, in which said pin members have downturned pointed portions adapted for entry into the pleats of a garment.

6. In a device of the character described, a strap member adapted to overlie and be secured to a pressing board, said member being movable to a selected position along said board, elements extending beyond one side of said strap member and movable along said strap member, each element having a pleat-holding pin associated therewith.

'7. In a device of the character described, a strap member adapted to overlie and be secured to a pressing board, elements extending beyond one side of said strap member and movable to selected positions along said strap member, said elements having pointed portions adapted to be pushed through pleats of a garment and into said board, said elements normally disposed in substantially the same plane as said strap member.

8. In a device of the character described, a strap member adapted to overlie a pressing board, said member being movable to a selected position along said board, said member having a longitudinally-extending slot therein, elements extending from said strap member at spaced intervals, means extending from said elements and through said slot, said means permitting moVement of said elements along said slot, and pleatholding pin members carried by said elements. REFERENCES CITED 9. In a device of the character described, a strap member adapted to overlie a pressing board The references are in the and be retained on said pressing board at a 5 file this Patentselected position thereon, elements slidably secured to said strap member, whereby said ele- STATES PATENTS ments may be moved longitudinally of said strap Number Name Date member, and a pleat-holding pin associated with each of said elements, whereby to transfix a garl0 ment on said board.

SIMON ESECSON.

2,073,220 Percy Mar. 9, 1937 

